{VIEWPOINT} Were we collecting thrown under the bus?

Dr UCHE DIALA

“It is not difficult to notice that President Tinubu put Nigeria’s image and standing before the world at stake so that he could please President Trump because he is ‘afraid’ of him (Trump) and to safeguard his quest to continue to be Nigeria’s President after 2027. In the end, it all boils down to political interest and ambition. It was not in any consideration for Nigeria or any fight against insecurity (in my view).”

In the dying hours of Christmas day, December 25th, 2025, something that has never happened before in the history of Nigeria since independence in 1960 happened.

The United States of America led by President Donald J. Trump ordered and actually carried out multiple military strikes into Nigeria’s sovereign territory, allegedly on ISIS terrorists operating within Nigeria.

After that unprecedented, historic, and hugely significant event, the Nigerian President and his administration had two options, each with serious implications.

It either had to accept that the US Trump-led administration conducted those military airstrikes with its knowledge, consent, and permission. It goes without saying that doing or accepting so would make Trump and the United States look bad.

The other option was to admit that the airstrikes were conducted with its (Nigeria government’s) knowledge, consent, and permission. That, on the other hand, would make President Tinubu and his administration look bad or at least incompetent.

The Tinubu-led administration went for the second option without minding the larger implication on the President, his administration, and the country at large.

By the way, I am inclined to believe that the first option was the case – that the military action was not necessarily or technically carried out with the prior knowledge and consent of the Nigerian government, not withstanding the claim by the administration’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tugur, that he spoke with the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for 16 minutes prior, who asked for the Nigerian President’s consent which the latter gave, and the reason is simple. Knowing President Trump, he having threatened and finally decided to strike Nigeria, and knowing how the Nigerian President and his administration had responded to Trump’s threats, there is no reasonable or conceivable way to imagine that a ‘no’ from the Nigerian President would have stopped him (Trump)?

One thing is certain, though. By accepting, whether true or false, that it gave consent, President Tinubu and his administration have saved President Trump from the expected accountability from the US Congress who would have or if the question was asked regarding the legality and appropriateness of that military action.

It is not difficult to notice that President Tinubu put Nigeria’s image and standing before the world at stake so that he could please President Trump because he is ‘afraid’ of him (Trump) and to safeguard his quest to continue to be Nigeria’s President after 2027. In the end, it all boils down to political interest and ambition. It was not in any consideration for Nigeria or any fight against insecurity (in my view).

Let us be honest and serious. The insecurity situation in Nigeria today, as bad as it is, is nothing that any serious, competent, and committed Nigerian government can not handle to require proudly requesting, endorsing or accepting a foreign government to directly intervene militarily and in such a loud and dramatic manner. Again, I vehemently refuse to celebrate such.

The security situation in Nigeria today is nowhere near what late President Buhari inherited in 2015. On the contrary, as a matter of fact, and that is the honest truth, the deterioration of the security situation that we are witnessing currently is a direct consequence of the dereliction of duty by the Tinubu-led administration.

Therefore, it goes without saying that President Tinubu essentially ‘invited’ (going by Mr. Tugur’s many submissions) or at the least welcomed President Trump to come and help it solve a problem that he had allowed to fester or worsen under his very watch and now overwhelmed by and incapable of solving.

Let me be clear.

Strategic military cooperation and collaboration between nations are important and always welcome, but such direct military intervention as we just witnessed? I am sorry, but I did not and still do not see how the stakes rise to that level under the circumstances.

While I grudgingly accept, in this case, that the President and Commander in Chief has a prerogative to do whatever he wills, I hope the Tinubu administration equally understands the larger and simple implication of what has happened.

The administration simply acknowledged and accepted that it has failed in the duty of protecting and securing Nigeria and Nigerians and that it does not have the capacity to do so. Period!

Of course, as much as some Nigerians are celebrating, President Trump and the United States of America cannot continue to do it for us, except we want Trump to annexe or take over Nigeria, maybe as the 51st state of the United States. That way, he will govern Nigeria and keep it safe and secure. That, of course, is neither tenable, possible, nor acceptable.

The only thing that is realistic, possible, and appropriate is that Nigerians should democratically replace President Tinubu and his administration at the next democratic opportunity with another Nigerian and a government that can then try to tackle Nigeria’s insecurity and many other problems, including spiralling poverty, unemployment and the economy amongst others.

Before anyone starts tripping or getting confused or angry, there is nothing unique or new in that. There is a recent precedent. In 2015, President Goodluck Jonathan was democratically removed from office for the exact same reason that he and his administration could not effectively deal with insecurity in Nigeria, even after bringing in foreign mercenaries to help, thereby failing in the most important constitutional duty of protecting the lives and properties of Nigerians. We are living witnesses.

President Jonathan was removed from office, and as they say, ‘the heavens did not fall’. Fortuitously, the current President was a major player in passing that unforgiving verdict of failure on President Jonathan and played a pivotal role in ensuring his exit democratically from Aso Rock to his village in Otuoke, Bayelsa state, and Nigeria moved on.

Today, I believe, whether by luck, design, or accident, that we have come full circle and all the necessary parameters have been sadly and painfully met. What is left is for Nigerians to do the needful at the next democratic opportunity in 2027 in a bid to salvage our dear nation and its citizens and to begin to rebuild our image and pride, which have been inexcusably dangerously and remarkably battered and damaged.

The time has already started counting. The big question is: Are we Nigerians awake, alert, and ready? Because we are all aware, including those of us playing the ostrich.

Once more, I have said my peace. The ball is in our collective court.

#GodBlessNigeria

©️ Uche Diala